Harley Quinn #14 - DC Comics

HARLEY QUINN No. 14, June 2022

Primarily focused upon the titular character’s unjust incarceration “in Blackgate Penitentiary for multiple homicides thanks to a growing body of evidence”, Stephanie Phillips’ narrative for Issue Fourteen of “Harley Quinn” undeniably contains some well-executed set-pieces packed full of pulse-pounding pugilism. But whilst these punch-ups rather neatly bookend the twenty-two-page periodical, the word-balloon filled middle of this comic is arguably far less satisfying, courtesy of the American author dwelling for much too long upon the domestic bliss of Kevin whilst he's overcooking some pancakes for his new girlfriend; “I’m not sure watching you run around the kitchen in that tiny apron could ever be ruined, babe.”

Admittedly, the rotund sidekick’s beloved Sam certainly provides the plot with some interesting angles as her physically bruising nocturnal activities are hinted at being far more homicidal in nature than those of a normal sleepwalker. But after ploughing through an incredibly word-heavy conversational piece involving Quinzel in prison pleading her innocence over the telephone, this publication’s readers debatably don’t then need to experience twenty-seven more panels crammed full of even more displeasing dialogue.

Thankfully however, the addition of Batwoman to this book’s secondary cast repeatedly imbues its somewhat sedentary storyline with some much-needed animation and fast-paced fist-fights. Straight from the start, when Katherine Kane’s alter-ego discovers the mutilated body of a corrupt judge at Gotham City Courthouse, it’s clear that exciting things are going to happen whenever the Justice League reservist is given the ‘spotlight’, and the super-heroine’s well-timed intervention just as Harley is about to be stabbed by a group of shiv-carrying convicts is debatably the highlight of the comic.

Possibly therefore carrying the lion’s share of the storytelling for “The Verdict” rests upon the shoulders of Riley Rossmo, whose dynamic pencils really help imbue Kate with all the athletic vitality one would expect from a costumed crimefighter who swoops across night-time skylines using a grapple gun. In addition, the Canadian artist does a fantastic job of making the red-haired vigilante’s fighting style look particularly savage, as she satisfyingly smacks one female inmate squarely on the nose, and eye-wateringly high-kicks another right in the midriff.

Writer: Stephanie Phillips, Artist: Riley Rossmo, and Colors: Ivan Plascencia